Archives For I am the Church

Thinking of myself less

March 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

I just had the intense enjoyment of several days with a life-long friend and missionary. His endless stories of being available to the”Everywhere present Jesus” in-spired me! I’m again reminded of Wendell Berry’s poem ending:

Every day you have less reason
Not to give yourself away.

Mary Oliver versed it another way in a poem from Evidence, p. 39:

I have become older and, cherishing what I have learned,
I have become younger.

And what do I risk to tell you this, which is all I know?
Love yourself. Then forget it. Then love the world.

And in prose words, Tim Keller has a wonderful small book with a much larger title. My favorite quote:

“…The essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.”

Tim Keller, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy. 

p.s. It’s 99 cents on Amazon in the Kindle ebook version. Buy it!

In Gospel, I am the Church, Poetry, Poetry Monday, The Missional Church
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What’s our excuse?

November 28, 2012 — Leave a comment

Icon of John Chrysostom,
Community of Jesus, Orleans MA

Much has been said in recent years about Church worship attendance being less consistant among today’s Christians. It’s not an entirely new phenomenon. I came across these words from John Chrysostom, the greatest preacher among he church fathers, who pastored in the large city of Antioch in the 4th century:

“Still, such is the wretched disposition of the many, that after so much reading, they do not even know the names of the Books, and are not ashamed nor tremble at entering so carelessly into a place where they may hear God’s word. Yet if a harper, or dancer, or stage-player call at the city, they all run eagerly, and feel obliged to him for the call, and spend the half of an entire day attending to him alone; but when God speaks to us by the prophets and apostles, we yawn, we scratch ourselves, we are drowsy.

“And in summer, the heat seems too great, and we take ourselves to the marketplace; and again, in winter, the rain and the mire are a hindrance, and we sit at home; yet at the horse races, though there is no roof over them to keep off the wet, the greater number, while heavy rains are falling, and the wind is dashing the water into their faces, stand like madmen, caring not for the cold, and wet, and mud, and length of the way, and nothing keeps them at home, and prevents their going out.

“But here, where there are roofs over head, and where the warmth is admirable, they hold back instead of running together; and this, too, when the gain is that of their own souls. How is this tolerable, tell me?”

—John Chrysostom, On St. John, Homily LVIII, ca. A.D. 390

QUESTION: How seriously do you approach the privilege and priority of Christian worship?

In Ancient-Future Faith, Christ and Culture, I am the Church, Worship
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Faith @ Work – some great resources

May 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

Following Christ is not a part-time job! Being a disciple of Jesus is a seven-days-a-week calling that we take with us to work and play; to family and community.  Work (or school for all you students) is a primary medium through which we offer ourselves to God!

Easier said than done!  As with all the areas of our ‘Rule of Life,’ we need the power of the Spirit and the help of the Christian community.  Here are some on-line resources. Continue Reading…

In Christ and Culture, Fully Human, I am the Church, Leadership, Rule of Life/'Game Plan'
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The Discipline of Praying for the World

March 3, 2012 — Leave a comment

How do you take seriously God’s heart for all peoples? How do I make prayer for the nations a part of my ‘Rule of Life,’ my Game Plan for being a disciple of Christ?

Many years ago, an ambitious project was started with the first edition of Operation World - A global digest of facts and prayer needs for the mission of God in each nation of the world.  It is now in its 7th edition.

There is a website of resources and links and available resources to download.  You can also connect to be part of this world wide movement of prayer.

I urge you to visit this website.  Buy the book or download the ebook version or start by receiving emails on each nation.  Let your heart be touched with Jesus’ heart for all peoples!  If you need more motivation, read this short article called Understanding Prayer in the Light of God’s Kingdom.

One other free resource, available on-line you should know about and read every other month.  It’s called Mission Frontiers, from the U.S. Center for World Mission.

In Disciplines, I am the Church, Prayer, Rule of Life/'Game Plan', So You Want to Change The World?, The Missional Church
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Who is Scot McKnight (and why is he coming to Providence?)

October 29, 2011 — Leave a comment

We’ve talked for several years about trying to have Scot McKnight in Rhode Island.  Scot is not your celebrity type Christian rock star.  But he is making a very rock-solid  contribution to the Christian world. McKnight is New Testament prof at North Park University (connected to our Evangelical Covenant denom.) He is a prolific author of both scholarly and ‘popular’ books on NT studies and the Christian life.  His blog, Jesus Creed, is one of the best in the world at engaging important issues of faith and culture. It has a following of thoughtful and respectful commenters who work through books and questions guided by McKnight.  Scot is also a sought after speaker all over the world on subjects of Jesus, biblical interpretation, and the state of the church.  I believe he has been gifted for these times to be a uniter instead of a divider while not being afraid to challenge the evangelical status quo.

(My son, Stephen, got to know McKnight while at North Park and invited him to Providence for November 4th when learning that he was speaking at Gordon College the same week. The Lord, through the generosity of an anonymous donor, is making it happen!)

Scot’s latest book is called The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited.  In it, he challenges the church’s understanding of the Gospel and her all-too common method of sharing the faith.  Our Gospel is often a shrunken version that leads to settling for “decisions” instead of making disciples. There is a lot more!

So here are the details:
** Nov. 4th, Friday evening is The One Event.  (click here for the Facebook page) - a large gathering from churches in Providence and around the state led by Andrew Mook and Scott Axtmann with a team from Sanctuary, Renaissance Church, Christ Church and others.

**The location is Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, with parking in the Providence Place Mall. (Go to the north end mall parking garage nearest the State House and the entrance is directly across from the church.

**Scot McKnight will preach at this unified worship service  which begins at 7 pm.

**Scot has graciously agreed to meet from 4-5:30 pm with pastors and church leaders.  We have designed this session under the title: “The Original Gospel Revisited, Sharing the Good News in Today’s World” – A Discussion with Scot McKnight.  Stephen, Todd Murphy (Sacred Journey Church) and I are coordinating this event with the great help of Cassandra Chavez, staff at Gloria Dei.

**We have room for about 200 at 4 pm and 600-700 at the 7 pm service.  So come on time and be praying for the Holy Spirit to do a wonderful work of unifying and equipping us for greater Kingdom impact in our state and region!

In Evangelical Covenant Church, Evangelism, Gospel, I am the Church, Make Disciples, Uncategorized
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Is the Church a Place or a People?

September 9, 2011 — 1 Comment

As we move two of our Sunday morning services to a school auditorium, a good question naturally gets raised by many?  “Aren’t we diminishing worship by not using our church building for all Sunday worship services?  Isn’t there such a thing as “sacred space?  If so, what makes it sacred?”  I understand the concerns. It is important for us to have a clear, biblical, and Christ-centered perspective on these questions.

In the early church we see believers meeting “house to house” AND having public assemblies for the reading and teaching of Scripture, prayer, and Communion (Acts 20). The settings for worship included small homes, larger homes, outdoors, rented halls, schools, and even catacombs!  Eventually, after persecution slowed, church buildings of different kinds developed.

The word for church is ekklesia – meaning “called-out assembly.”  The metaphors for the church are numerous and include God’s temple, field, flock, building, and of course, Christ’s Body.  Peter calls the church “living stones being built into a spiritual house, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s possession…”  (1 Peter 2)

As one scholar notes, “Scripture gives no command as to where …believers may or may not worship.  In the Old Testament, prayer and teaching could take place anywhere, but sacrifice was restricted to the central altar in the tabernacle and the temple.  In the New Testament, Jesus removes that restriction, for he himself is our sacrifice, our priest, and our central altar. And he resides, not at some earthly location, but in heaven – and by his Spirit, in and with his people, wherever they may be.” (John 4, from Worship in Spirit and Truth, by John Frame)

So is the Church a place or a People?  The answer is clearly a People. Certainly we seek to make our places of assembly as conducive to worship as possible and I love beauty and sacred architecture as much as anyone.  But it is the People gathered in Christ’s name, in the Spirit, that make a place “sacred.” Sometimes, that means making more sacred space for more people who need the Lord, beyond what our church buildings can provide.

It’s not primarily about us – or our preferences or our comfort.  (You and I know this but we need to be reminded) It’s about Christ and His Kingdom. So let’s put our best energies into being Living Stones, the Church that Christ said He would build – that would be the unstoppable hope of the world!

In Christ and Culture, Church, I am the Church, The Missional Church
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‘Golden RuleS’ about Judging and Loving

December 21, 2010 — 1 Comment

If you missed the teaching on Matthew 7:1-12  let me encourage you to take a listen.  We want to be Church communities that break the stereotype of Christians being “judgmental.”  And at the same time Jesus invites us to “Come as we are,” He doesn’t leave us where we are!  We are called to discern and love and speak into one another’s lives under the guidance of the transforming Spirit of God.

The beautiful way of Jesus!   Read and listen here!

In I am the Church, Matthew, Unity
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The Apostle Paul on Unity in the Church

June 30, 2010 — Leave a comment

Apostle Paul, Andrei Rublev

The last section of Paul’s letter to the Romans (chapters 15 & 16) is intensely personal and strategic.  We dare not skip over Paul’s “Oh yes, a few last words…!” He’s driving home a Unity message. I was struck that unity doesn’t come from internal analysis or from trying harder to orchestrate it, but from being IN MISSION together!  Here are my conclusions from studying Paul’s example.

We need to Demonstrate Unity….
1. by welcoming one another as Christ has welcomed us (15:4-7)
2. by being people filled with His hope that overflows to the world (15:8-13)
3. by partnering together in the local and global mission of God. (15:14-29)  Paul was Mission-driven! He was deeply concerned about the unity of Jew and Gentile believers – that God’s righteousness would be proclaimed and the Gospel would keep going out.  Jesus is the Hope of the world – for all the nations.  He wanted the churches he started to be Missional communities, not ingrown communities.  The same goes for today!  Our churches need to be beach-heads for extending the Kingdom; Mission Stations that impact our communities and replicate themselves in new places where the Good News has not penetrated!

4. finally, by honoring and encouraging one another when we speak about one another. (16:1-20;  Hebrews 10:24-25) Don’t hold back those words of affirmation for what God is doing in and through your brother or sister!

The Roman church was undoubted like us in the fact that it needed to be ‘one church with many communities.’ Paul worked very hard to maintain and ‘preserve the unity’ that the Spirit created in that diverse setting. (Ephesians 4)  He strongly warns against anyone who would be responsible for fostering division or diverting the mission.

I believe that our unity over the years has come from being Mission – centered.  Let’s continue to Demonstrate Unity as we focus on going “Deeper in Christ…Further in Mission.”

Click here for the audio teaching from 6-20-10.

In Current Issues, I am the Church, Mission and Vision, Unity
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Stories of God @ Work – @ Work!

October 18, 2009 — 3 Comments

This is your invitation to join an important conversation.  Tell us your stories of how you have seen God use your everyday work in His mission to the world!  Or in light of the teaching from the I Am The Church series, how God’s Spirit  is moving in you to “re-imagine” your work -  reflecting the beauty of God’s love and truth in new ways.  Scroll down and leave your story in the Comment section.

Here is a wonderful summary of the theology behind the teaching from a site called The High Calling of Our Daily Work, by a ministry led by Howard Butt.  This is a quote from an article on creating a beautiful work place.

…Beauty must be seen then as an aspect of God and God’s creation. Beauty is the light of God shining from within the created world. The fact that one person sees beauty where another doesn’t has to do with people’s different capacities, not the nature of beauty itself.

Why does all this matter? Because if we want to be followers of Christ, we need to join Christ in his work. Through his incarnation, public ministry, passion, resurrection, and ascension, Christ initiated a cosmic renewal. His victory over death began the restoration of God’s entire creation to a state even better than its original “goodness.”

In fact, we are invited to be co-creators with Christ in this work, as part of his living body within the world. That means performing (good, i.e.) beautiful deeds . . . from anointing the Savior’s feet with expensive perfume to building exquisite church sanctuaries….to helping widows, orphans, and prisoners; from constructing excellent architecture to putting together vital organizations; from decorating our homes attractively to creating a harmonious workplace.

In I am the Church, Mission and Vision, The Missional Church
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The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World

October 14, 2009 — Leave a comment

LGCThe Lausanne Movement arose out of the first international Congress on World Evangelization convened by Billy Graham and attended by leaders from 150 countries.  Out of it came the Lausanne Covenant – a wonderful document used ever since as a balanced statement of the Church’s mission.  It was here that John Stott first crafted the phrase, “the Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole World.”  We spoke of this briefly in our series on I am the Church, on The Call To Mission -Connecting to a Hurting World.

Let me encourage you to read further on this vital understanding of Mission. Lausanne has an amazing website with documents and papers from all of its conferences and global study groups.  I’ll link here to the section that further explains the “Whole” emphases. The article by Christopher Wright is especially helpful.

In Christ and Culture, Gospel, I am the Church, The Missional Church
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